Bizarre Boat Accident in Milwaukee Claims One Life
On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Wednesday, November 16, 2011.
Some industrial accidents make you shudder. One such accident occurred in Milwaukee over the weekend on a docked ship. A 60-year-old man’s accidental death resulted from a gruesome and tragic accident on a conveyor belt below deck.
The man, who was from Superior, was apparently three decks below while working on the conveyor belt by himself. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the man’s arm was severed at the shoulder, and he died from his injuries.
At this point, it’s not clear why the accident happened. Authorities do know there was apparently a hydraulic leak, so the man asked other crew members to shut down and restart the engine. They did so, but he apparently requested another shutdown.
After that, there is no record that he asked for another start-up. However, the system did restart, and the man got his arm caught in the moving conveyer belt, according to reports.
The ship, the SS St. Mary’s Challenger, was apparently carrying more than 9,000 tons of cement and was docked near Kinnickinnic Avenue in Milwaukee.
The police in Milwaukee are still investigating, but a preliminary investigation report by the Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office indicates that the man’s death was an accident.
This sort of tragedy makes one stop and think, “How can this happen? What could have been done to prevent this?” Unfortunately, those questions will linger in the air as investigations continue and the man’s family prepares to say a final goodbye.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Superior man had arm severed in ship accident, report says,” Gitte Laasby, Nov. 13, 2011
If you need legal representation for a boat accident, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. for a free consultation.